Biocarbon obtenido de restos de plantas cosechadas como enmienda edáfica vegetal en el cultivo de banano (musa x paradisiaca l.).

Abstract

The Ecuadorian banana (Musa paradisiaca L.) is considered the best banana in the world because of its nutritional contributions to health and because it is one of the main non-oil products that stimulate the economy, generating work and economic stability for the country. The present trial was carried out in the experimental area of the Santa Inés farm of the Technical University of Machala, whose specific objectives are: 1 To determine the treatment that obtained the best results of healthy root in comparison with the absolute control. 2 To determine which type of biochar is the most efficient to stimulate a greater height in the banana plant. 3 Specify which of the evaluated treatments shows the best results in leaf area of banana clone Williams. 4 State which treatment shows the best biochar/ bunch weight conversion, by means of a one-factor ANOVA statistical analysis. 5 To establish which of the treatments achieves the best productivity results by means of field data collection during harvest. Forty vegetative units clone Williams were used as experimental material, i.e., eight vegetative units for biochar based on pseudostem, leaves, rachis, banana fingers and eight as absolute control. The study variables are: Total root weight (PRTotal), healthy roots (Prsanas), damaged roots (Prdñ), dry roots weight (Razc) and roots with nematodes (PRnemat), final height at calving (AF), return height (Rhijo), number of leaves (NH), leaves at cutting (Hc), leaf area (ArF), calibration lower hand (CUM), bunch weight (PR), unmanured rachis weight (Prd), number of hands per bunch (NM), sun hand calibration (CMS), sun hand weight (PMS), number of fingers in sun hand (ND), length of fingers in sun hand (MMS), weight of lower hand (PMI), number of fingers in lower hand (NDm), length of fingers in lower hand (MUM). The results that show significance are (Prsanas), (Prdñ), (Razc), (Rhijo), (NH), (PR), (Prd), (NM), (CMS), (PMS), (ND), (MMS) and (NDm), since their significance level is less than (0.005). As a consequence, the biochar rachis treatment presents benefits in root development and survival in the soil with a mean of 2.09 g per harvested plant, compared to the absolute control treatment that presents a statistically significant difference with mean 6. 64 g of damaged root per harvested plant, so that the banana rachis biochar as an agricultural amendment optimizes the physical properties of the soil such as porosity, soil moisture, temperature, water storage and microorganisms, which shows a low root loss in the root system of the banana plant. For the bunch weight variable, the treatment that obtained the best results was the banana rachis biochar, since its chemical composition has high levels of potassium and phosphorus, elements necessary for the development of efficient microorganisms in the soil, which are directly related to the increase in the availability of nutrients for the plant, allowing an efficient filling of the bunch compared to the other treatments. In the rachis weight variable, it obtained a higher average compared to the treatments of 6.34 lb, with an average of 8 hands per harvested bunch, with half sun hand has a grade of 46, 13, number of fingers per sun hand of 28. 43, with an average sun hand finger length of 11 inches, and with an average of total leaves during the banana crop cycle of 24.1 leaves per plant, with a leaf area value of 7.3, with 6.3 leaves at cutting, whose average return height at harvest is 1.18 m (4 ft). The length of fingers in the banana bunch, which is allowed for export, is 7 inches, so that the length of fingers obtained in the study treatments comprises 9.25 inches for the absolute control treatment and 11.25 inches in length for the biochar banana rachis treatment. Regarding the variable number of fingers on the lower hand, the banana rachis biochar treatment obtained the best results, with a mean of 14.63 finger units per lower hand. The information collected was analyzed by means of a one-factor ANOVA statistical analysis, so each treatment was considered as the study factor. The use of banana rachis biochar as an agricultural amendment in banana soils allows the increase of productivity, such as obtaining bunches with higher weight, higher number of healthy roots, number of hands per harvested bunch, length of sun and lower hand fingers required by foreign markets, as well as the health and quality of the harvested fruit.